


Heart Skipped a Beat

by emkjason



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Fluff, High School AU, M/M, NOT SAD, Sharing, blanket, this is happy for once idk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-11
Updated: 2016-10-08
Packaged: 2018-07-14 09:09:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7164872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emkjason/pseuds/emkjason
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From across almost the entire football field, Josh noticed a boy with a blanket wrapped around him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Reconsider

**Author's Note:**

> This should not have any triggers for anyone. If you read this section and think otherwise, please let me know so I can fix it. Please excuse any mistakes in how I describe things that go on in public school. I go to a really, really small private school that basically lets anything fly, so I don't really know what is allowed/not allowed in school. I hope you enjoy it! Please leave kudos and comments (I especially love comments) if you liked it! I am considering continuing it with more fluff, so if this does really well, I will continue it.

Josh felt terrible. His nose was completely stuffed and running at the same time. His eyes had deep purple rings around them and his skin was about fifty times lighter than it was the previous week (even though that didn't seem possible). Worst of all, Josh got distracted and managed to leave his jacket on the bus, resulting in his being cold for the entire day. He was left only a very thin long sleeved shirt on his upper half. Once he realized he had forgotten his jacket, it was too late; the bus was already gone.

Josh was just waiting for this day to finally get over so he could go on Christmas break and get over this stupid cold. His mom just kept telling him to make it through today and then he wouldn’t have to worry about coming back to school for another two weeks. 

Josh pressed his forehead to the cool desk in front of him. A sense of relief came over him. It with his fifth class of the day and his teacher was absent for the day (due to a cold, how humorous), so the whole class basically had free time. None of the students were actually doing anything except playing on their phones under the desks. The current substitute teacher was just reading his paper and drinking coffee. As soon as Josh finally felt himself falling asleep, a blaring house came ripping through the entire school. 

The fire alarm. Cool. 

All at once, 35 chairs scraped against the floor and everyone started hustling out the doors. Despite every teacher in the school trying to create some sort of order and lines, most of the students completely disregarded them and instead just continued through the hallways. Josh lifted himself out of the chair slowly, hoisting his backpack up onto his shoulder and trudging out the doors into the mass of high school students. He considered throwing himself in the fire so that he didn't have to continue on with this stupid day. 

He wiped his running nose with his sleeve out of instinct, then realize how absolutely nasty that was. It was too late though, as snot covered the left wrist of his shirt. Great. Another addition to his absolutely lovely day. 

He followed the mass of kids down the hallway and outside. When he felt the cold air hit his skin, he sighed loudly, earning a few glares from nearby students. The temperature was in the negatives, for god’s sake, but of course Josh had to forget his jacket today of all days. He hated living in freezing cold Michigan, he hated his stupid school, and most of all, he hated whoever had pulled the fire alarm. 

All of the students collected in groups based on their friends, which really sucked for Josh since almost all of his friends weren’t at school today. Brendon was currently suspended for using drugs on school grounds, Hayley left for her vacation in Hawaii yesterday afternoon, and Ryan was skipping. He saw a few of his not-so-close friends wandering around, but he didn't really feel like going near them (there were reasons they were not his very close friends).

Then, from across almost the entire football field, Josh noticed a boy with a blanket wrapped around him. Josh usually kept to himself and was a pretty quiet guy, but it seemed that today was different. Perhaps it was the intense sickness, the freezing cold temperatures, or the fact it was right before break, but Josh made a beeline toward the guy wrapped in a plush red blanket. As he got closer, Josh recognized him as Tyler Joseph, a guy who Josh really hadn’t talked to much before. 

“Hey, can you share that blanket with me?” Josh said, half jogging to Tyler. Tyler looked shocked for a moment, almost as if he wasn’t expecting Josh to be running to him, before nodding and holding the blanket out for Josh to fit into. “Thank you so, so much. You really don’t know how much I appreciate it.” Josh continued, flashing Tyler a smile. 

“No, I get it. It happens to the best of us. I think I’ve left my jacket on the bus like 18 times or something.” Tyler said. Immediately after he spoke, his eyes got larger and his entire face turned red. Josh couldn’t help but giggle. 

“How did you know I left my jacket on the bus?” Josh said.

“Uhhh….” Tyler said, obviously trying to figure out a good answer, “I don’t know what else to say. I watched you do it this morning. I’m really creepy, I know.” 

“Nah, you aren’t creepy. People watching is fun. I didn’t realize we were on the same bus, though. What street do you live on?” Josh said, adjusting the blanket better around his shoulders. 

“Uh, I live on the corner of Hayes and Ziegler.” Tyler said. He attempted to kick some of the dirt up from the ground, but it was frozen solid. 

“Cool, only a few blocks from me! I’m at Guidot and Mayfair.” Josh said. Tyler made a noise of understanding, but silence soon took over. Josh felt terribly awkward but the blanket was providing him at least a bit of warmth. Josh inhaled deeply (as deeply as he could with one sort-of functioning nostril) and took in the smell of the air. Instead of what he was expecting, he instead smelled a mix of cologne and deodorant. Tyler actually smelled like an angel, but Josh would never admit that to anyone.

After another few moments of awkward silence and Tyler still trying to kick up the frost covered ground, the principal announced that it was a false alarm and that students should return to their regular classes now. Josh started unwrapping himself from the blanket, but Tyler grabbed his arm and stopped him. Josh might have felt tingles in his arm for a moment. 

“No, you can keep it for the rest of today. You need it more than I do.” Tyler said, looking Josh directly in the eyes. Josh smiled sheepishly. 

“Thank you a lot. It was nice getting to talk to you. I’m Josh Dun, by the way.” Josh said, sticking his hand out. 

“No problem. I’m Tyler Joseph.” Tyler said, meeting Josh’s hand for a handshake. Josh then waved goodbye and headed back to his class, only this time, he had a blanket wrapped around him. 

Maybe he also had butterflies in his stomach.


	2. Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is he going to do now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse anything that doesn't make any sense in the way the schooling system works. I hope you enjoy it!

Josh returned back to his seat in his class, setting his book bag down on the floor beside him. He had three minutes left until the bell rang, signaling that class was over. He resumed his spot and laid his head on the desk. Only this time, he had the blanket pulled under his nose so he could smell it. 

Once the bell rang, everyone hopped up out of their seats again and started heading out the door. The substitute teacher mumbled something about having a good break and returned to reading his newspaper. Josh stood up slowly, tightened the blanket around his shoulders, and walked out the door. He walked to his red locker and opened it up, grabbing his sketchbook and pencils. 

Josh only had one class left in his school day, which was art. He wasn’t the absolute best at making art, but he really tried his best in the class and made some really expressive and cool art sometimes. His most current project was a drawing of a pair of shoulders with a rose as their head rather than any sort of face. He actually thought it was really cool, much unlike every other piece of art he makes.

That class always went by really quickly. The teacher played music in the background and hummed along, walking from table to table and making sure everyone was working. Josh usually had this class with Hayley, so the seat next to him felt unusually empty. They didn’t talk much when they were doing art usually, but it was still nice having someone there. Josh figured he should text her after school to make sure she landed safely and that she is having fun. 

Brendon and Josh had U.S. History and Music together. Most of their time spent together was Brendon non-stop talking, but Josh enjoyed the noise. Josh himself didn’t talk all that much, so he felt like he needed a loud best friend. Ryan, on the other hand, was much quieter than Josh. They didn’t have any classes together, but Josh knew him because he usually hangs around Brendon and always offered to buy Slurpees from 7-11.

Josh snapped out of his daydreaming as his art teacher walked by and cleared his throat. Josh sheepishly turned back to his work, sketching a few more lines onto his piece.

“Who’s the blanket from?” his teacher asked, slipping into the seat next to him. 

“Uh, Tyler Joseph.” Josh said, his eyes not leaving the drawing in front of him.

“Ooh. Nice boy. Are you guys friends?”   
“No, not really.” Josh said. His teacher gave him a quizzical look and opened his mouth to ask another question when the bell rang. Josh’s teacher quickly got out of the seat and announced that the whole class should take their projects home over winter break and work on them, since the art show was three days after the break was over. 

Josh sighed before smiling and realizing that he finally gets to go home. He walked back to his locker, the blanket thrown over one shoulder. He didn’t have many assignments to complete over the break, so he only shoved his literature book and his sketchbook in his bag. He took the blanket off of his shoulders, neatly folded it, and set it on top of his backpack.

He then realized that he had left his drawing pencils at his seat in the art room, which just so happened to be on the complete other side of the school. Josh once again sighed and spun on his heel, walking back to the art room. By the time he got to the classroom and came all the way back, the hallways were starting to clear out. Josh quickly put on his backpack and grabbed the blanket. 

Once he pushed through the front doors, he was slightly blinded by the sunlight that reflected off of the white snow. He walked into the parking lot, quickly giving a short wave to his mom and holding up his pointing finger to tell her he would be a second. Josh looked around to try to find Tyler’s car, but didn’t see him anywhere. Right before Josh considered just giving up, he watched Tyler Joseph leaving in a car that pulled straight out of the school parking lot. 

Great, what is he going to do now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave kudos and comments if you liked it. I really, really love reading comments, so if you have the time or would take the time to leave me one, I would be ecstatic. I'm hoping to write another chapter tonight and post it by tomorrow (no promises though!) Thank you so much for reading! :)


	3. Tides

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He was going to have to return the blanket to Tyler soon, but he really didn't want to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy it! :)

Josh walked over to his mom’s car and put his backpack in the backseat next to his sister, Abby. She looked up from her phone and smiled at him before turning her eyes back down quickly. He grabbed his phone out of his bag and then slid in the passenger’s seat. 

“Hey kiddo, how was school?” She asked, turning on the heated seats underneath Josh.

“It was actually pretty good.” Josh said. He watched his mom raise her eyebrows and turn towards him.

“I haven’t heard you describe a school day as ‘good’ since you were in 3rd grade, I think. What happened today that made it so good?” 

“Nothing really, it was just good.” Josh said, turning to look out the window so that he could hide the blush creeping up on his cheeks. 

“Hm, sure.” his mom said, backing out of her parking spot and pulling out of the lot. Josh put his headphones in and listened to music for the entire ride home.

Once they got home, Josh grabbed his backpack and headed inside. He was grateful that school was over, at least for a few weeks. He had tossed his backpack in the corner of his bedroom and told himself that he would actually start doing his work before the last day of the break, but that likely will not happen.

During dinner, Josh’s mom again asked him why his day was so great, resulting in an barrage of questions about his life and how school was going. He spent most of dinner staring down at his lap and avoiding all the questions as well as he could. The rest of the night was pretty uneventful, with Josh just watching YouTube videos and hanging out with his younger sisters. He had completely forgotten about returning the blanket to Tyler until he lay down to sleep that night. His mom had set the bright red blanket on Josh’s bed, likely assuming that it was Josh’s.

Josh fell face-first onto his bed and breathed in the smell of Tyler, which was already starting to fade. He was going to have to return the blanket to Tyler soon, but he really didn't want to. He was glad he asked where Tyler lived. Maybe he wasn’t happy, because that means he had to return the blanket, but still.

As soon as Josh was about to fall asleep, he heard his phone buzz. 

Brendon: Awake?  
Josh: Yes, but barely  
Brendon: How was Hell today?  
Josh: Probably better than actual Hell.  
Brendon: Very, very true. Anything exciting happen?  
Josh: Nah.  
Brendon: I should have expected  
Josh: We are both always hoping for better  
Brendon: Are you recovered from your illness yet?  
Josh: I look and feel as if I were run over by a bus, but I can still function  
Brendon: Sorry, I hope it gets better soon  
Brendon: Can we hang tomorrow?

He considered that for a moment before texting back. He was planning on returning the blanket to Tyler tomorrow, but that really shouldn't take very long. Plus, Brendon doesn’t wake up until noon anyways, so Josh should be fine if he heads over in the morning. 

Josh: Sure  
Brendon: Awesome. See you then.  
Josh: Night. See you tomorrow

He quickly sent a text to Hayley to make sure she was having fun and tell her to call him sometime soon. He needed to talk to someone about this possible growing crush that he had for Tyler. Brendon would make sure the entire school knew within 10 minutes and Ryan likely didn't care at all. Plus, Ryan shares everything with Brendon, and Brendon shares everything with everyone.

Josh slipped his phone under his pillow and closed his eyes. His mind then turned to what happened today on the football field. He was worried he was getting way too ahead of himself. Tyler probably doesn’t even like Josh, but he has to have at least some hope in his heart. The way Tyler was watching him on the bus though… That must mean he at least cares to notice what Josh does, which means he at least likes him a little bit, right? Right?   
He was suddenly dreading the fact that he had to go to Tyler’s house tomorrow. What was he going to wear? What would he say? He was going to look like an idiot, showing up at the front door with a blanket in his arms. What if Tyler wasn’t even home when Josh came over? Tyler seems like a really nice kid, but he might also be covering the fact that he thinks Josh is actually extremely weird.

Josh then started thinking about the good things that Tyler did. The way he smiled at Josh and held his arms open for Josh to come into. Tyler was also watching him on the bus, a telltale sign that he had a crush, right? All Josh knew is that the more he thought about this, the more he felt himself falling for Tyler.

He fell asleep with a smile on his face, thinking about Tyler Joseph.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave kudos and comments if you liked it! I really, really love reading comments, so if you have the time or would take the time to leave me one, I would be so, so happy. I'm figuring I will start writing another chapter after I get home from work tonight. Thank you so, so much for reading! :)


	4. Fantasy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soon enough, Josh was at the front door of what he presumed was the Joseph household. He walked up onto the porch and rang the doorbell. He could hear footsteps behind the door and an unlocking sound before a woman appeared in front of him.
> 
> “Oh, hi! You must be Josh.” the woman said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy! :)

Josh woke up the next morning to sunlight streaming in through the window. He looked around his room and stretched out his entire body. His alarm clock said it was 8:16 A.M. The blanket Tyler gave him was currently wrapped around Josh’s whole body and keeping him extremely warm. He figured he had to at least get some use out of it before he eventually forced himself to return it and never see it again. 

He had about an hour until it was time for him to head over to Tyler’s house, so he walked downstairs with the blanket still around his shoulders. His mom was standing in the kitchen and cooking breakfast. He took a seat at the island and grabbed a few pancakes, taking care to not get any syrup on Tyler’s blanket. 

“I see you have that blanket again. I don’t remember buying that.” Josh’s mom said, still facing the stove. 

“Oh, uh…” Josh said, trying to figure out how to collect his words.

“Whose is it?” she asked. 

“It belongs to a guy from school. I, uh, left my jacket on the bus, so he gave me this blanket to keep me warm. I’m returning it to him today.”

“You seem to have taken quite a liking to it, it seems.”

“Uh, yeah, I have. It’s really warm.” Josh said, wondering if anything would happen when he clicked his heels together three times.

“Do you like it because it’s warm or because it came from a boy at school?” Josh’s mom said. 

She turned around with the plate of bacon and set it down in front of Josh. Josh secretly knew that she just wanted to watch his face to gauge his reaction. He stammered and felt his face fill with color. 

His mom smirked and turned back around before saying, “You better go and start getting ready, you know how fussy you get about your clothes. I can’t imagine how long it will take you to get ready for a date!”

Josh was about to protest before his eldest sister spoke over him and said: “What? Josh has a date? What’s his name?”

Josh stood up and left the kitchen as quickly as possible, hearing his sister giggle and his mom start to explain. His mom was right; he always needed a lot of time to get ready. 

Once he got to his room, he started digging through his closet to try to find a shirt that looked good. Josh had taken dozens of shirts and tried them on to no avail. Finally, from the corner of his closet, he saw what he was sure would look good: his X-Files themed t-shirt that said, ‘I want to believe’ as well as a picture of a flying saucer. He also pulled out his favorite pair of black skinny jeans (that just so happened to make his butt look incredible). Josh picked out a grey jacket and his black Vans to complete his outfit. 

By the time he finished all that, it was 8:53. He quickly rushed to the bathroom and brushed his teeth, put on cologne and deodorant, and fixed his hair. Josh picked the red blanket off of the floor and held it to his face one more time, inhaling deeply. No matter how creepy it seemed, he was really going to miss that smell. He folded the blanket and headed downstairs. 

His mom heard him coming down the stairs and made some sly joke about using protection and having fun that Josh pretended he hadn’t heard. He stepped out into the brisk winter air and inhaled sharply. 

He started walking three blocks East and one block South. He hoped in his heart that this was a path he had to walk many, many more times. Josh didn’t rush to get there, but instead took in the scenery of the nearby streets. The city in which he lived wasn’t the most beautiful or safe, but it was where he grew up and held a lot of memories for him.

He walked past Ryan’s house and smiled. He could hear the indie music that Ryan was listening to though the closed window. Ryan spent most of his time in his house alone, so he really could do whatever he wanted without ever getting caught (including Brendon). 

Soon enough, he was at the front door of what he presumed was the Joseph household. Their house was ridiculously cute and well-kept. Josh was possibly jealous, since his house was really starting to look a little tired and used. He walked up onto the porch and rang the doorbell. He could hear footsteps behind the door and an unlocking sound before a woman appeared in front of him.

“Oh, hi! Are you Josh?” the woman said, smiling largely. 

“Yes I am.” Josh replied, unsure how in the world this woman knew his name. 

“Tyler, your friend is here!” The woman yelled upstairs. She then turned back to Josh and said, “Can I get you anything? A snack, a drink, anything?”

“No, but thank you so much.” Josh said, smiling at her. 

All of a sudden, Josh heard footsteps coming down the stairs very quickly. Tyler appeared in front of him with a giant smile on his face. 

“Oh, hi. Thanks for bringing back my blanket.” Tyler said, his eyes almost sparkling with happiness and excitement.

“It’s really no problem. Thank you a lot for letting my borrow it. I would have died of hypothermia if it weren’t for you.” Josh said, laughing a bit at the end of his sentence. Tyler giggled and looked down at the floor for a moment. There was a second of complete silence, where Tyler again dug the toe of his shoe into the ground beneath him.

“So, do you wanna, like, hang out? I have some video games upstairs in my room if you want to play them or something.” Tyler said, his eyes not meeting Josh’s. Josh smiled bigger than he ever has before and said yes. Tyler smiled and started walking up the stairs. Josh followed behind him, his eyes scanning all the family pictures that were all over the walls. 

“I have Rocket League. I don’t know if you like that game or not though.” Tyler said, nervousness taking over him again.

“I love Rocket League! It’s my favorite game!” Josh said. They were in Tyler’s bedroom, which was extremely clean and filled with tons of different instruments like the ukulele and the keyboard. His room was really aesthetically pleasing and everything just matched, much like the rest of his house.

“Really? Awesome. I’m gonna go run to the bathroom, but I’ll be right back.” Tyler said, spinning on his heel and heading out the door. 

Josh pulled out his phone very quickly and opened his messages to Brendon.

Josh: Sorry, B. I can’t hang out today. Something came up last minute. Next time!  
Brendon: You suck. Also, you owe me a Slurpee :)

Things were going so much better than Josh could have ever imagined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, comments and kudos are super, super appreciated. Feel free to share this with your friends! I really hope you enjoyed it! :) I'll be updating as soon as I can! This upcoming chapter is a very long one (in my opinion at least), so please be patient!


	5. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Josh stared at him with a shocked look on his face before realizing that this was, in fact, a date.

When Tyler first sat down, he was possibly as far away from Josh as he could be while still sitting on the bed. He was obviously extremely nervous. Josh watched his hands shake the entire time he was setting up the other controller and while he was playing. Josh was extremely nervous too and could feel himself frequently looking over at Tyler to make sure he wasn’t noticing the sweat beading up on Josh’s forehead or his running nose (he was still sick, after all).

The two boys didn’t speak very much while playing the game, but instead only quietly taunted each other. Josh’s sniffles were the only loud noise that was coming out of the room the boys were in. Right after they finished a match, there was a soft knock on the door before it opened. Tyler’s mom stood there and smiled politely, while Tyler shifted and looked uncomfortable at her presence.

“Hey guys, are you getting hungry? I have food downstairs or you could walk to a restaurant right down the road.” she said, eyes shifting to Tyler as she mentioned the latter option. 

“A restaurant sounds cool. Is that fine with you, Josh?” Tyler said. Josh quickly turned his eyes to meet Tyler’s and nodded. Getting food with a boy as good looking as Tyler sounded like a dream (and also possibly the ‘date’ that Josh’s mom had mentioned earlier).

“Alright! If you guys want to get there before the rush, I would suggest leaving somewhat soon.” she said, turning on her heel and leaving. 

“So, what place were you thinking?” Josh asked.

“Uh, maybe Taylor Town Coney Island?”

“I’ve never been there before.” Josh stated, wiping his nose. A look of confusion passed over Tyler’s face. 

“Wait, you’ve been living here for so long! How haven’t you gone to that restaurant?” Tyler said enthusiastically. Josh shrugged, resulting in Tyler saying, “Fine, that is where we have to go now. They have the best food in this whole town.”

Tyler grabbed a jacket from his closet and put it on. It automatically made him look smaller than he already was and, in Josh’s opinion, cuter. Josh couldn’t help but stare for a moment in complete awe, resulting in Tyler waving his hands frantically in front of his body to get Josh’s attention. Josh giggled and blushed severely before following Tyler out the door and down the stairs. 

“Be back soon, Mom!” Tyler shouted while holding the door open for Josh. 

They started their walk down the block, Josh cautiously walking beside Tyler since he had absolutely no idea where he was going. This freezing cold weather wasn’t a great place for Josh to be while recovering from a cold. Tyler looked nervous again and began wringing his hands together. Josh felt the need to break the ice somehow and make both himself and Tyler feel a bit better. 

“So, uh, what do you like to do other than video games?” Josh said. Ugh, that was a stupid question. He felt like a soccer mom trying to make conversation with a mom from the other team. 

Tyler’s face instantly lit up and he excitedly said, “I really like writing, playing music, and art. I also play basketball a lot. I’m mostly passionate about the arts and expressing myself through any means.”

“What instruments do you play?” Josh asked, stepping over a fallen branch.

“I play the ukulele, the piano, and the bass. I mostly sing though.” Tyler responded. 

“Oh, that’s so awesome. I play the drums.”   
“Really?! The drums are sick! I wish I could play those.” Tyler said, his eyes lighting up again in delight. 

“Yeah! They’re so cool. We should jam some time if you want.” Josh said, realizing soon after that he had just asked Tyler Joseph to come to his house, insinuating that there was going to be a second date. 

“That would be awesome!” Tyler said.

Josh smiled and was about to respond when Tyler gestured to the restaurant sign. It was an older black-and-white building that had a few windows. It looked a bit shady, but he was hoping that it ended up being really good. Tyler held the door open for him again and then took a seat in a nearby booth. A waitress came over and handed out two menus to the both of them and winked at Tyler.

“That’s Ashley. She’s my brother’s girlfriend.” Tyler explained after seeing the look on Josh’s face. Josh nodded understandingly but still felt a pit of jealousy in his stomach. The waitress brought two cups of water and took each of their orders before whisking away out of Josh and Tyler’s sight. 

“So, what else do you do in your spare time?” Tyler asked.

“I mostly just practice drums, do homework, draw, or hang out with my friends.” Josh replied, tracing over the designs of the table with his fingers. 

“Oh, cool. Are you really into drawing?” Tyler asked. He seemed genuinely interested, which was a strange concept to Josh. Most people didn't really listen or care when he started talking about what he liked to do. 

“Yeah! I like using water color pencils the most. My teacher is trying to get me to branch out into doing paintings with acrylic paint, but I’m just not feeling it yet. I’ll try it eventually though.”

The two guys chatted about their interests for another ten minutes or so before their food came out. Ashley delivered it with a smile and then spun around on her heel. Josh noticed a pack of cigarettes in her apron, even though she didn’t even look close to eighteen. They ate their food, speaking in-between bites and trying not to laugh hard enough that food came flying out of their mouths. 

Once the bill was dropped off, Josh reached over to grab it and pay for it. Before he could even get his hand in the general vicinity, Tyler had grabbed it and set a ten dollar bill on top of it. Josh stared at him with a shocked look on his face before realizing that this was, in fact, a date. 

“Do you want to go get Slurpees right now? I know we just ate, but I really want some sugar.” Tyler asked after Ashley came by and took the bill with the money. 

“Sure, that sounds great.” Josh said, “I have to go use the bathroom, but I’ll be right out.”

When Josh returned, Tyler was standing by the door and waiting. He looked absolutely adorable with his too-large jacket that engulfed his whole body and the pinkish tint of his cheeks from standing by the constantly opening door. Josh smiled to himself and walked up to Tyler, meeting him before they both exited. 

“So, do you li-” Josh started, but he was soon cut off by Tyler asking, “Can I hold your hand?” They both turned red quickly and Tyler started stammering and excuse. Before he could get much farther, Josh had slipped his hand into Tyler and interlaced their fingers. 

The rest of the walk to 7-11 was extremely peaceful and much less awkward. When they finally entered the tiny store, they were relieved by the warm air inside the building. 

“Do you think the worker will care if I stick my hand in the hot dog cooker?” Josh whispered into Tyler’s ear, earning a very loud laugh that startled the tired looking teenager who was seated behind the counter. As they were filling up their Slurpee cups, the bells above the door jingled. Brendon walked in, his hand intertwined with Ryan’s. 

The two couples stared at each other in a bit of disbelief before Brendon said, “I’m so going to text you about this later, Joshy.” 

Josh rolled his eyes and laughed before paying for both his and Tyler’s drinks. 

“I don’t think it was smart to buy a frozen drink on a freezing cold day.” Josh said.

“Or when you’re sick like this.”

“I’m always sick!” Josh said, pointing finger guns as Tyler. This earned a giggle and simultaneous eye roll. They drank the drinks on their way back to Josh’s house, still holding hands. Once they got to Josh’s house, Tyler stopped at the front door. 

“I had a ton of fun today.” Tyler said.

“Me too.” Josh replied.

“Do you want to, like, maybe do this again sometime?” Tyler asked, nervousness taking over his voice. 

“Heck yeah! Here, give me your phone number.” Josh said. Tyler quickly recited his phone number to Josh, who then texted Tyler so they had each other’s numbers. 

“I should head inside before I get any more sick.” Josh joked. Tyler nodded and hesitantly hugged Josh, putting his arms around Josh’s broader frame. The hug felt as if it lasted an eternity and a second at the same time. Josh instantaneously knew that he loved hugging Tyler. He felt so small and fit perfectly into Josh’s arms. 

“I’ll talk to you soon, okay? Bye!” Josh said. 

“Bye Josh!” Tyler said, waving and starting to walk down the street. Josh watched him for a moment longer before heading inside. He kicked off his snow-covered shoes by the front door and headed up to his room, evading his sisters and mom for the moment. 

Josh: Hayley, I just went on a date with possibly the cutest boy on the face of this Earth.  
Hayley: Call me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Viola! This was my really long chapter. For some reason, I have writers block the entire day but can write a 1500 word chapter within an hour at midnight! :) I don't understand myself. As always, kudos are amazing and comments are **LOVED**. I can't believe this story is doing so well - we are almost at 50 kudos! I really hope you all are liking it and enjoy it. Feel free to leave questions, comments, and suggestions in the comments. Happy reading! I'm gonna go get some sleep, since it is one A.M.!


	6. Sunset

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few blocks over, Tyler Joseph was on Google trying to figure out when the appropriate time to text someone you’re romantically interested in is.

Josh immediately clicked the call button and heard the phone ringing. Within a moment, he heard the phone get answered and Hayley’s voice on the other end. 

“Tell me all about him. What’s his name? Age? School? Height? Weight? Eye color? Hair color? Body type? Favorite sport? Favo-” Hayley started, getting cut off by Josh. 

“Whoah, whoah. I can’t remember any of that if you keep going. His name is Tyler Joseph-” Josh started saying. He got cut off my a squeal on the other end of the phone. 

“Sorry, sorry. I just know him! Oh my gosh. Okay, keep going.” Hayley said. 

“He is 17. He goes to our school. He’s about 5’9” or 5’10”, I think. I have no idea how much he weighs. His eyes and hair are both brown. His body type is.. small, I guess you would call it. His favorite sport is basketball.” Josh said. He could hear Hayley eagerly waiting to ask more questions on the other side of the call.

“Is he nice? Does he really like you? What did you guys do today?” she asked.

“He’s really, really nice. I don't know if he likes me, but I’m really, really hoping so. I went over to his house to drop off a blanket-”

“Wait, what blanket?” Hayley asked. Joshed sighed.

“It’s such a long story… Why weren’t you just there on Friday?” Josh said. 

He re-told the entirety of Friday to Hayley. She listened intently and awww’d at appropriate times. Hayley talked about how it’s not that Josh wasn’t attractive or kind enough to get a boyfriend, he was just way too shy and in denial of the fact that half the guys in the world were drooling over him. He didn’t have a great image of himself and figured no one else did either. Josh scoffed at that and tried to change the subject quickly, still not believing her (this is probably the 35th time she’s mentioned it).

Hayley assured Josh that Tyler did, in fact, have a giant crush on him. She could basically feel Josh blush from 4,000 miles away. She already knew that Josh and Tyler were hanging out today (Brendon texted her from the 7-11), but she wanted to make sure she gave Josh the opportunity to share it with her. 

They eventually said their goodbyes and promised they would text the next day.

A few blocks over, Tyler Joseph was on Google trying to figure out when the appropriate time to text someone you’re romantically interested in is. Apparently it was not two hours after you get their number. Should he let Josh do it first since Tyler insinuated everything else today? Or is Josh one of those guys that feels the need to wait a few days before texting first? Tyler sat on his bed and considered it for a while before his phone lit up. 

Josh: Hey Ty :)

Tyler smiled and quickly opened up the message. The nickname that Josh had given him was super cute. He typed a response and sent it back quickly, shifting on his bed to lay on his stomach. 

Tyler: Hi! :)  
Josh: What’s up?  
Tyler: Nothing really, what about you?  Josh: Nothing much. I just got off the phone with my friend, Hayley.

Before Tyler could respond, his mom came in the room and sat on his bed. He shot a quick text back to Josh that said, “Awesome! I know her.” and clicked his phone off. His mom was waiting patiently for him to finish before she spoke. 

“Did you have fun with Josh today?” she said, “It was nice seeing you have a friend over.” Tyler nodded and smiled down at his phone. “Do you like him as a friend or as more than a friend, sweetheart?” she continued. 

Tyler blushed profusely and bit his lip. 

“Probably more than a friend,” he said, “but I don’t know if he likes me like that. He probably thinks we’re just good friends or something.”

“Honey, the way that boy looks at you lets me know exactly how he feels. He’s enthralled with you. His eyes just glimmer when he looks at you.” she said. Tyler smiled and looked down, hoping she was right. His mom stood up from his bed and patted his back a few times. 

“I love you, Tyler. Never, ever doubt yourself. You’re an incredible person that anyone would be lucky to have.” she said before leaving. 

Josh: I’m starting to feel like my cold is getting better. I guess your blanket has magic healing powers of something!! :)  
Tyler: Hah, that would be awesome! I think it only has magic healing powers for you, since I’ve had many, many colds in that blanket.  
Josh: Sooo gross! How dare you give me a blanket that was used! ;)

Tyler’s heart stopped for a moment. A winking face. What do winking faces even mean? Do they mean “I’m laughing right now!” or “I want to make out with you!”? How is Tyler supposed to know?

They kept talking to each other, exchanging snapchat and Instagram usernames. Tyler spent the moments when waiting for a response stalking Josh’s Instagram. He had a lot of pictures with Brendon and of the park nearby. Tyler saw Josh’s drum set and the day he dyed his hair red. Josh was also looking at Tyler’s Instagram page and taking into account the pictures of the world and himself with captions that were unfamiliar both to Josh and Google (hey, you can’t blame him. He wanted to make sure they weren’t from anything), so he assumed they were personal song lyrics of Tyler’s. He did say he liked to write. 

They talked the entire night and sent silly snapchats to each other until midnight.

Tyler: We should probably sleep soon, since we both have crap to do tomorrow.  
Josh: Smart idea.  
Tyler: I had a lot of fun today. :)  
Josh: Me too!  
Tyler: Don’t ignore me tomorrow, promise?  
Josh: I’ll make sure I text and snapchat you a ton tomorrow!!!   
Tyler: Good. Let’s sleep now, though. Goodnight Joshy! :)  
Josh: Goodnight, Ty. Sleep well! :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you enjoy it?? I really hope so. I can't believe how well this is doing!!! I'm so, so proud of it. Its 2 A.M. here in Michigan, so I'm absolutely exhausted. Please leave kudos and comments so I can wake up happy in the morning! I really love waking up and seeing new comments and/or kudos.


	7. Crystalised

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tyler reached the basement and looked around, eyes automatically connecting with the drum set in the corner.

It had been three days since Josh had gone to Tyler’s house. They had been texting constantly since then, but Josh couldn’t help the fact that he really, really wanted to spend more time with Tyler. 

It was 10:30 A.M. on Tuesday morning. The rest of Josh’s family was out shopping and had left him alone to sleep. He had made himself eggs for breakfast and was scrolling through Instagram while seated at the island in the kitchen. His heart sped up as he saw a message pop up on his screen, but he sighed when he realized it was his mom checking on him to make sure he was okay. He responded quickly and returned to staring at Instagram posts. 

After he finished his food, he went to put his dish in the dishwasher. His phone started blaring his ringtone and he slowly walked across the kitchen to get it, figuring it was another telemarketer (he had been getting a lot of those calls recently). He spun the phone towards him so he could read it before slightly panicking. It was Tyler. 

“Uh, hello?” Josh said, his voice a much higher pitch then it usually is. He mentally cursed himself and cleared his throat. 

“Hey, it’s Tyler.” Tyler said.

“Hi Tyler, it’s dad.” Josh joked, laughing at his own joke. 

He heard Tyler laugh for a moment before whispering under his breath (probably figuring Josh wouldn’t be able to hear him), “Well, you’re surely a daddy.”

“What was that?” Josh said, blushing and smiling the largest he probably ever has. 

“Uh, what? Nothing!” Tyler said, panic obvious in his voice. 

“Hah, sure. So…”

“Do you wanna hang out today?” Tyler said. 

“That sounds awesome! Where?” Josh said, immediately surveying his house to make sure it wasn’t trashed. 

“I was thinking your house. Maybe you could play your drums for me?” Tyler said. 

“That works for me. So, I’ll see you in like five minutes?” 

“Five minutes it is! See you soon, Josh.” Tyler said, hanging up the call. 

Josh looked around his house and almost screamed. There is the saying that men clean their house faster than they ever have before once there is a slight possibility that they will get laid. Even though Josh is just hoping for a kiss, he’s pretty sure that saying is extremely true. He put all the dishes in the dishwasher and folded every blanket in the whole house. He closed his siblings’ bedrooms door and scrubbed the toilets. All the dirty clothes went to the laundry and he even managed to have time to wipe out the sinks. 

He was so concerned about the house being clean that he completely forgot about himself, and it wasn’t until he heard a knock at the door that he realized he had no shirt on, only sweatpants. Crap. 

He went to the door and opened it slowly, trying to hide his half naked body from his new friend. 

“Hey, are you okay?” Tyler asked, confusion and concern evident on his face. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Okay, so this isn’t a normal thing that happens very often, but I currently don’t have a shirt on. Not because you’re here, because I forgot. Can you just ignore that for a second? I promise I’ll put one on in a moment.” Josh said. 

“I’ll believe this is not a regular occurrence if you let me into your house and out of the cold.” Tyler said, flashing a bright smile. Josh stepped aside and let him in before closing the door to stop the inflow of cold air into the heated house. 

Tyler took that moment to admire what Josh looked like shirtless. He was way too muscular for being a high school student. Tyler couldn’t help but stare for a minute to take in the beauty that was Josh Dun, resulting in his staring at Tyler oddly and smirking. 

“Having a hard time keeping your eyes off me?” Josh said. Tyler snapped his eyes up to Josh’s face and blushed. 

“Shut up. I thought you were putting a shirt on.” Tyler said. 

“It doesn't seem like you want me to, but I will.” Josh said, sticking his tongue out after his statement. He ran into the laundry room and grabbed a shirt from his laundry basket. He slid it on his body and returned to Tyler, who was still standing in the living room and looking at family photos on the wall. 

“So, you said you wanted to see me play some drums?” Josh said. Tyler nodded distractedly, his eyes still on a picture of a twelve year old Josh. 

“Ew, don’t look at that! Why was I ever allowed out of the house…” Josh said. 

“No, no. You look cute. This picture is so cute!” Tyler said, giggling and pointing to the picture. Josh turned his head to look away. 

“I’m going to go to the basement and play some drums, so if you want to join me at the cool kids club, feel free!” Josh said, heading down the stairs. 

“Fine, fine, you sassy baby. I’m coming!” Tyler yelled. Josh heard his footsteps on the stairs and hoped in his head that he would repeat those last two words in the future. Tyler reached the basement and looked around, eyes automatically connecting with the drum set in the corner.

“So, do you wanna hear some awesome drumming by yours truly?” Josh said, smiling and sitting behind the drum set. 

“Nah, I think it’s more fun for us to just -” Tyler started, but he got cut off by the sound of Josh hitting a cymbal. Tyler stuck his tongue out at Josh and listened for him to continue. Josh started playing a few bits of songs he knew while performing as many tricks as he knew. Tyler’s eyes lit up in amazement and Josh’s chest filled with pride. 

“That was… incredible.” Tyler said. 

“Really?” Josh said, his smile almost reaching from one ear to another. 

“Yes, really. You’re amazing on the drums!” Tyler said, walking closer to Josh and standing beside him. “Plus, you look really attractive when you play.”

Josh smiled and looked up at Tyler from where he was sitting. Tyler leaned over and kissed Josh’s cheek, sending a bunch of positive waves through his body. 

“Like really, really attractive.” Tyler said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hah! All of you were expecting a kiss! Okay, I felt like being mean and so I didn't write in an actual kiss (but honestly, this was so much cuter). Don't worry, you will get an actual kiss in the next chapter (which will be a continuation of this day). Please leave comments and kudos!! Every time I wake up in the morning and see new kudos or comments I get so, so happy! Share this with all of your joshler/jyler friends so they can appreciate it too! I hope you enjoyed :)


	8. Shelter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tyler finally realized what his mom was talking about; Josh looked as if he were seeing something truly incredible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a continuation from the moment the last chapter ended, so you might want to read the last few lines to refresh your memory! I cannot thank you enough for giving this over 100 kudos!! I never would imagine this would do so well. As a thank you, I give you this chapter! Please enjoy! :)

“You really think so?” Josh said, a large smile covering his face.

“Heck yeah!” Tyler said, voice cracking. They both started laughing extremely loudly.

“Totally ruined the mood.” Josh said in-between breaths. Tyler slid down against the wall, still laughing, and held his pointer finger against his mouth, his silent way of telling Josh to shut up.

“So, what do you want to do next?” Josh said. 

“Netflix, maybe?” Tyler suggested, looking up at Josh from where he was sitting on the floor. 

“Ooh, Netflix and chill?” Josh said, wiggling his eyebrows. Tyler giggled and playfully smacked Josh’s arm. 

“Only in your dreams, Joshy.” Tyler said, standing up and stretching his body. His bones cracked and he exhaled loudly, prompting Josh to do the same. 

Josh stood up and poked Tyler’s stomach before running up the basement stairs as quickly as he could. Tyler caught on and sprinted up the stairs after him. They chased each other through the kitchen and into the living room before Josh dived onto the couch. Tyler didn't hesitate to hop on top of him and start poking him. They both laughed and Josh tried to push Tyler off lightly. 

By the time Tyler got done, they were both out of breath again and laughing. Josh fixed his shirt that had now gone sideways and causing a great deal of discomfort. Tyler ran one of his hands through his hair to fix it, still smiling and looking at Josh. 

Josh looked back and Tyler finally realized what his mom was talking about; Josh looked as if he were seeing something truly incredible. 

Josh cleared his throat and stood up before saying, “I’m gonna get snacks and blankets. Pull up your favorite movie and get comfy.” 

Tyler nodded eagerly before reaching for the remote. Josh disappeared to somewhere down the hallway, leaving Tyler to choose a movie. He enjoyed tons of movies - Heathers, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, etc. The list could go on forever. 

He finally decided on a movie and waited for Josh. 

Josh returned a few minutes later with an armful full of snacks and another armful of blankets and pillows. Tyler eagerly took everything from Josh and set it out in a sort of nice way so that it wouldn't get knocked over. 

“So, you decided on,” Josh started, pausing to read the screen, “We Need To Talk About Kevin. Hm, I’ve never seen it.” 

Tyler smiled and pressed play. Josh sat down on the couch, slightly less than a foot away from Tyler. Within fifteen minutes of the movie starting, Josh had closed that gap and was pressed up against Tyler. They were now sharing one blanket and all of their body warmth. 

Josh looked around for the TV remote before pausing it. 

“What was that for?” Tyler said, mouth full of popcorn. 

“I gotta use the bathroom! I promise I’ll be back in a moment.” Josh said, hopping up from the couch and jogging to the bathroom. 

Tyler waited patiently. He considered standing up and getting his phone from the kitchen so that he could check it, but that was way too much effort for two minutes of entertainment. He heard the toilet flush and the bathroom door open, but Josh didn't return immediately. There was a moment of complete silence, but Tyler didn’t really know what to do. 

“Hey Ty, can you come here and help me with this?” Josh said from down the hallway. Tyler hopped off of the couch and walked down the hallway. He didn’t see Josh, but he knew this is where he heard the voice coming from. 

In a moment, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist, causing him to jump. He turned around and came face-to-face with Josh, who was closer than they ever had been before. Tyler swallowed the nervousness in his throat. 

“What?” Tyler said, confusion evident on his face. Josh’s mouth was so close to Tyler’s, merely inches, maybe centimeters apart. He heard Josh breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling at a calming rate. Tyler felt his own heartbeat pounding hard against his ribcage, a constant reminder that Josh was really this close. 

“Can I kiss you?” Josh said, his voice cracking. Neither of them laughed at it this time. 

“Yes, I - Of course, yes.” Tyler stuttered out. 

Josh moved closer and connected their lips. It might sound fake and unrealistic, but they both swear that it felt magical. The whole stupid firework spiel that was given in every crappy romance novel. Josh’s hands cradled Tyler’s jaw, while Tyler’s were pressed flat against his sides for a moment until he realized he should probably move them. 

It was only a few moments, but it really felt like an eternity and a second at the same time. They both craved more, but needed to check in to make sure everything was alright. 

Josh pulled away and rested his forehead on Tyler’s.

“Is that okay?” Josh whispered, voice hoarse. 

“Yes, yes. A million times yes.” Tyler whispered back. Josh laughed, his eyes squinting in a way that made Tyler’s heart face faster. The laughter broke the quiet that was present in the hallway even though no one else was home. 

“So, this was kind of Netflix and Chill.” Josh said.

“Hush.” Tyler said before pressing his lips to Josh’s again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They kissed!!! Alright, you know the whole thing... Comment, kudos, share with your grandma... Blah, blah, blah. I cannot promise that I'll update every night anymore since I start my writing class at a college (Ugh!), but hopefully I'll learn a lot of new stuff that will help me write better here! I sincerely hope you enjoyed! :) I appreciate each and every comment I get whether it is long or short (Trust me, I re-read all of them at least ten times each!) Thank you! :)


	9. Islands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He prayed the entire school day that the bell for the last class would never ring, but it did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long! I was planning on writing and posting this yesterday night, but I didn't (obviously)! The next chapter is really, really exciting in my opinion. Remember that they are NOT boyfriends yet! Wink, wink. Please enjoy! Share with everyone you know, leave kudos, and COMMENT!

Josh was bringing Tyler to meet his friends formally for the first time today. It was January thirteenth, a Friday, which made Tyler even more nervous. Of course he is going to lunch after school with a bunch of people who likely would hate him on Friday the 13th! Josh had been reassuring Tyler all day that everything was going to be perfectly fine and that his friends would love Tyler, but nothing was working. Every moment they spent together just served as a reminder to Tyler that something terrible was likely to happen that would make Josh want to never see Tyler again. 

He had tried everything: deep breathing, splashing cold water on his face, drawing, the list goes on forever. Nothing was working. He prayed the entire school day that the bell for the last class would never ring, but it did. 

Tyler was sat in biology, his last class, when he heard the bell shriek one final time. While everyone else in his class very quickly shoved all of their books in their bags and left, Tyler was doing it as slowly and carefully as possible. 

He heard footsteps entering the classroom and looked up. Josh was standing there, looking at some poster for science safety while smiling. 

“Ready to go?” Josh said without looking at Tyler. 

“Uh, yeah.” Tyler said, his voice sounding nervous and shrill. 

“Sweetheart, you’re going to be perfectly fine. They will like you because I like you. Plus, you have, like, the absolute best personality of anyone I’ve ever met before.” Josh said, walking over and setting his hands on Tyler’s shoulders. 

Tyler nodded uncertainly and put his backpack on before saying, “I’m currently as ready as I can be.” 

Josh smiled at him and grabbed his hand before leaving the classroom. They passed by a few kids who smiled politely at them; the couple had luckily missed the end of the day rush by seconds. They walked out to Tyler’s car and loaded their stuff in the trunk. The group was going to a restaurant called Dena’s and then Sweet Cravings (as long as Tyler didn’t mess everything up at the first restaurant). Tyler reluctantly got into the drivers seat and started the car while waiting for Josh to come and sit in the front seat. 

Once Josh got in the seat, Tyler starting driving to the restaurant. Everyone else had gotten there before the couple and sat waiting in their cars. Great, the first thing Tyler has messed up this afternoon. As soon as Tyler had parked, Josh hopped out of the car and waved at a short girl with vibrant blue hair and a pair of brown haired boys that Tyler recognized from a few weeks ago at 7-11. 

The blue-haired girl got out of her car and came running to Tyler and Josh, stopping short in front of Josh. 

“Hi Josh! Care to introduce me to the friend you brought along?” she said, smiling eagerly at Josh and winking at Tyler. 

“Tyler, this is Hayley.” Josh started, gesturing to the girl, “Hayley, this is Tyler.” he continued, gesturing to Tyler this time. 

Tyler waved shyly at the girl, who immediately went in for a hug with Tyler. He was startled at first, but soon accepted and returned the hug. Once she pulled away, Tyler saw the two brown-haired boys approaching. 

“Hi Tyler, we’ve all heard a ton about you!” the shorter guy said. Tyler felt his heart start to race and he nervously looked at Josh for some sort of life saver. 

The shorter guy laughed and stuck out his hand for a handshake. 

“I’m Brendon Urie.” he said, smiling once Tyler returned his handshake. 

“I’m Ryan Ross.” the other boy said, smiling meekly and making no attempt at all to make contact with Tyler. 

“Cool, I’m Tyler Joseph.

There was a moment of silence within the group of friends before Josh made some reference to heading inside that Tyler couldn’t really hear. He was just thinking about how they already didn’t like him and found him odd. Josh grabbed Tyler’s hand reassuringly and squeezed it before pulling at him a bit to go inside the restaurant. 

They all sat in one booth together, which was a really tight fit. Hayley sighed and joked about being the fifth wheel before deciding to sit on the side with Ryan and Brendon. A waitress came by and introduced herself as Victoria while passing out menus. The whole group looked over the menu and decided on what to eat. 

Brendon made some small talk about the fact that a teacher was starting to bald until the waitress came. Once she took their orders and disappeared, all of the attention at the table turned to Tyler. 

“So I heard you play basketball, Tyler. Is that true?” Brendon questioned.

Tyler sipped on his water and then said, “Uh, yeah. I play for the school actually.” 

“I’m sure Josh would love to go to those games!” Hayley said, smiling and looking at Josh. 

Josh laughed and nodded before saying, “Tyler, you should tell them the funny story about what happened when you thought someone broke into your house!”

Tyler smiled nervously and shook his head. That story just exemplified how weak he was and wasn’t really that funny at all. The whole table was looking at him expectantly though, so he guessed he had to tell the story. 

“-like someone broke in and just from the top of the steps I said, ‘Excuse me. Could you please leave?’ There was nothing very intimidating about it.” Tyler said, finishing the story. 

Everyone at the table was dying laughing and had red faces. Josh, who had heard the story twice before, was laughing and smacking the table with his hand. Even Ryan, who had barely spoken to Tyler yet, was laughing extremely hard. Tyler found himself smiling and then finally laughing with them. The waitress then appeared with the food, but the whole table was still in fits of giggles. Brendon and Hayley were wiping tears from their eyes.

They ate, all the while talking about the story Tyler had just told. Hayley kept breaking out in laughter while eating, prompting everyone else to start laughing as well. They finished and each paid for their meals. 

“Are you guys ready for some frozen yogurt?” Brendon said, smiling and pushing through the glass door out Dena’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Did you enjoy? I really hope so! P.S. I know that the story of the "intruder" in Tyler's house was a hypothetical situation, but I had to change it so it made sense in the story. I hope to update sooner than I did this time since I don't have to write another paper until Wednesday! Share, kudos, and comment! I love you all so, so much! Thank you :)


	10. Our Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Josh had been planning what he was about to do since he saw Tyler from across the football field.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I really hope you enjoy this! I will likely update this tomorrow or Sunday night, but no promises! I need some more ideas for future chapter, so leave them in the comments or else I will not be able to write the next chapter! I would love any and all ideas. Thank you all so, so much for reading this. I could never have imagined that this would do so well! Please enjoy!

Josh: Can we hang out and go to the park tonight?   
Tyler: Sure  
Josh: Awesome. I will stop by your house and pick you up at 6:30, cool?  
Tyler: Super cool :)

Josh smiled and put his phone down on the bed beside him. Even though they had been dating for over a month and a half, Josh was always worried that Tyler would all of the a sudden start hating him and no longer want to go on a date with him. Josh had been planning this date for about a month and a half. Well, not just the date, but also what he was going to do on said date.   
It was three in the afternoon when Josh finally finished doing homework and getting ready. He tried his best to look as nice as possible, which included wearing a button-up shirt and his “nice” black skinny jeans. There wasn’t much he could do to style his mess of hair, but he tried his best anyways. He stuffed a few candles into his backpack with the rest of the stuff that was in there before grabbing his keys and heading to his car. 

This plan of his required a bit of prep work, so that’s what he was headed to do now. He pulled up to the park and headed to the spot he had chosen three weeks ago. It was secluded somewhat behind the trees, but looked over the river that ran through the center of the park. It was an absolutely breathtaking spot, so Josh knew it was perfect. 

He set up the candles exactly where he wanted them and set out the blanket for he and Tyler to sit on. Hayley was going to come by at 6:25 and light all of the candles and set out the food. Josh was really thankful he had such great friends. Brendon had offered to help as well, but Josh was half terrified Brendon would re-arrange the candles into an upside down cross or something. 

Now it was time to wait. Josh was never the best at waiting, but he had four and a half hours until he was supposed to pick Tyler up, so he had to. Josh figured he would just go to the mall and look at shoes for a while, since he had a bit of extra money from his job to use on whatever he wanted. 

He decided this was his best bet and hopped into his car, first texting Brendon to see if he was interested in going with Josh to the mall. The two somehow spent two hours wandering around without finding anything to buy before Josh decided he should probably go home and make sure he still looked good and had everything planned out correctly. Brendon wished him luck and made Josh promise that he would text Brendon after the fact about how it went. 

Once Josh got home, he checked his hair and outfit in the mirror at least fifty times. He finally decided that he should play video games to pass the time, so he turned on his Xbox and played Rocket League for an hour and a half. The alarm on his phone went off that reminded him to leave to go get Tyler. 

Josh: Are you getting ready? I am leaving my house for Tyler’s right now.  
Hayley: I am all good! :) You’re gonna do great, Joshy. <3 you

Josh smiled and put his phone in his pocket. His mom waved goodbye from the front room window and he drove away, a smile on his face. Once he arrived at Tyler’s house, he walked up to the front door and knocked quietly. 

Tyler’s mom answered and said, “Ooh, hi Josh. You look nice! I’ll run and grab Tyler. You wait here.” 

Josh nodded and her and smiled, his eyes turning to the pictures hanging on the walls that he has already seen at least a dozen times. He didn’t mind though, they were all so cute. Little Tyler was actually a gift to this planet. Footsteps came bounding down the stairs and Tyler appeared in front of him. 

“Ready to go?” Tyler said, smiling and looking at how nicely Josh was dressed. 

“Always.” Josh said back, smiling and turning towards the door. 

“I’m going out, Mom! I’ll be back in a while. Love you!” Tyler yelled up the stairs.

There was some sort of muffled response that made Tyler nod and head out the door towards Josh’s car. Josh smiled and reached out for Tyler’s hand. He planted a kiss on it, making Tyler blush, before he got in the car. 

“You can listen to whatever on the radio.” Josh said, checking the clock in his car. 

Hayley should be out of the park by now, and she will surely be gone in the ten minute drive it is to get there from Tyler’s house. Tyler hummed and started flipping through the radio stations, finally landing on a station playing ‘Love Yourself’ by Justin Bieber. They both started singing along to it at a very high, off-key pitch, laughing the entire time. 

They made small talk throughout the car ride, with Josh asking how Tyler’s day had been going and if basketball practice was any fun. Tyler was extremely enthusiastic today for some reason, almost as if he could sense what Josh was doing. When they pulled up to the park, Tyler smiled and looked at the sun, which was just starting to set. The sky was cast in a beautiful mixture of pink, purple, and blue. Josh watched Tyler’s eyes glimmer in the passenger’s seat and smiled himself. 

“I picked out a spot for us to go.” Josh said, breaking Tyler out of his trance. 

“Let’s go then!” Tyler said, shining the passenger door open. 

Josh followed suit and grabbed Tyler’s hand, leading him to the secluded spot in the back of the park. Once Tyler saw the whole setup, he gasped and tears started forming in his eyes. He turned to look at Josh, who was trying to gauge the reaction that Tyler was having. 

“Did-did you do this for me?” Tyler said, covering his mouth with his hands in shock. 

“Uh, yeah. I did.” Josh said, smiling sheepishly and scratching the back of his neck. 

Tyler leapt forward and wrapped his arms around the base of Josh’s neck, pulling him close and hugging him. 

“You are so incredible. I am so, so lucky.” Tyler whispered into the crook of Josh’s neck. 

There was a shuffle in the bushes before the crackling of a speaker covered up the rustling. All of a sudden, ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ started playing. Tears started rolling down Tyler’s cheeks. Josh had no part in the playing of this music, but he couldn’t complain at all. He had the best friends in the entire world. 

Tyler held onto Josh tighter and swayed to the music. Josh tried to work up all the courage he had in order to ask Tyler the question he meant to. He took one last breath of air before pulling away from Tyler for a moment. Tyler looked confused, tears starting to dry on his cheeks. 

“Tyler, this past month and a half have been some of my best memories. You make me smile all the time and every time I start to feel upset, I try to think about you. You always support and encourage me to try new things, even if I suck at them. You are one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Because of all of this, I have to ask you…” Josh said, pausing in his speech, “if you will be my boyfriend.”

Tyler gasped and more tears started rolling down his face. A smile filled up his entire face and he grabbed Josh’s hands. 

“I - Of course. Yes. Yes.” Tyler said softly. 

Josh pulled him close and kissed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy it? Awesome! I recently wrote another Joshler work called "The Three Times Josh and Tyler Couldn't Kiss, and The One Time They Could". I'm really proud of it, so please give it a read, a kudos, and a comment! As always, please leave me some kudos and comments for me to wake up to in the morning. I appreciate them so much. Remember to give me some ideas on what to write for the next chapter! Thank you all so much. I will update soon! :)


	11. Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tyler's family was bustling around him, swerving in and out of his dressing room en route to make sure everything was set up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is it! I may or may not have gotten quite emotional while writing this... I just felt as if this story was coming to an end. All of my facts may not be correct, so please excuse that, but I really tried my hardest. I will have a ridiculously long final note to end this ridiculously long chapter (over 2000 words!), so please take the time to read that. Please enjoy this final update!

Tyler stood in his dressing room nervously. He looked at himself in the mirror for the hundredth time in the past hour. Nothing had changed, but he still felt the need to look at himself. His family was bustling around him, swerving in and out of his dressing room en route to make sure all decorations were set up. 

Tyler cleared his throat as his sister walked by. She stopped in her tracks before turning to her brother. 

“Are you all ready, Ty?” she said, a gleam in her eye. 

He swallowed the nerves growing in his throat. His eyes came upon the engagement ring on her left hand and he paused. This was going to be her standing in a dressing room in a few months, anxiety bubbling up in her chest, while Tyler ran from room to room with armfuls of flowers and centerpieces. 

“Yeah, I am.” Tyler said, his voice cracking with uncertainty. 

He felt his eyes fill with tears and his throat start to choke up. His sister sat down the tray of chocolates she was holding and walked over to him. Tyler sat down on the ottoman and put his head in his hands. She encouragingly put her arms around him and started shushing him.

“Tyler, what’s going on? What’s happening in that wonderful brain of yours?” she whispered, keeping her voice low so that no others would become concerned and come in. 

“I-I don’t know. I love Josh. I love him more than I love literally anything else in this entire world. I’m just scared… I’m scared he doesn’t love me back as much or one day he will come to hate me or one day he’ll change and I won’t love him as much anymore and-” Tyler said before breaking into hysterics. 

“Oh, Tyler. I understand that you’re scared. I can’t promise you that none of those things will ever happen, but I know that boy looks at you with so much love in his eyes. Sometimes, love is scary. Love is always so uncertain; it encompasses so many risks. But here’s the thing: if you love someone, you have to be willing to take all those risks. You have to be willing to cry and sweat and bleed for them, or else you don’t really love them. Love isn’t about living in ‘The Notebook’ and everything being perfect, it’s about a bit of a struggle and a whole lot of trust.” his sister said. 

Tyler broke out into more tears, resulting in his entire body shaking. His sister was barely twenty, and yet she already knew more than Tyler could ever put into words. He turned to his sister and hugged her for a long time, not letting go until he heard his mom come into the room. She paused for a moment and watched the scene before taking the tray that Tyler’s sister had left behind and carrying it out of the room, likely to complete the task. 

They pulled apart, Tyler wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, before his sister wished him luck and said that there were only about five minutes left before Tyler was supposed to walk down the aisle. The couple had decided that Josh should stand at the altar while Tyler walked down the aisle, since Tyler would likely just bawl if he were to stand at the altar, resulting in some very, very ugly wedding pictures. 

Tyler stood up again in front of the mirror, straightening his tie and making sure the redness and puffiness around his eyes would disappear very shortly. His mom came in the room and sat her hand on Tyler’s shoulder while looking at him. 

“You look beautiful.” she whispered, her voice hoarse with tears. 

“Thank you.” Tyler whispered back, his own voice raspy from crying. 

She patted him on the back twice, a signal that it was go time and that he should follow her. He looked at himself once more in the mirror and smiled. He was going to marry the absolute love of his life today. 

Tyler followed his mom down the hallway and stopped right outside the doors. This was the moment that he had been waiting for since he was seventeen years old and saw a really cute boy running across the football field to talk to him. 

He heard music from inside. The bridesmaids and groomsmen started filtering in along with the music. Tyler took a deep breath and took a step forward. His mother grabbed his left hand and squeezed it, while his father grabbed his right hand a squeezed it. He had decided that both of his parents would walk down with him, since both of his parents were extremely supportive of the wedding, his relationship, and his goals. 

Tyler kept walking in-between in two parents. He felt all sets of eyes in the room look towards him, resulting in a few tears springing to his eyes. He hadn’t made eye contact with Josh yet, since he knew that would be when the tears started to flow. Everything was beautiful. The room was lit warmly and filled with white candles, paying homage to the day that Josh had asked Tyler to be his boyfriend. 

Tyler finally got the guts to look at Josh. He was completely right, as that was the moment that tears started rolling down his face. Josh was staring at him as if the world depended on it. Perhaps it was the light of the candles reflecting in his eyes, but Josh looked as if his whole life was Tyler. Josh’s eyes were also filled with tears and he not-so-subtly wiped one away from his cheek. 

Once Tyler arrived at the altar, the music switched to an instrumental version of ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love With You’. The marriage officiant started speaking and welcoming the guests to the ceremony.

“Dear friends and family, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the marriage of two very special men: Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun. They met first at only seventeen years of age, but their love has survived for eight years and has come to its height at this very moment. In these eight years they have been together, they have realized that they are better together and live happier with the support and love of one another. They have decided to continue on the rest of their lives and husband and husband.” the officiant said. 

Tyler’s tears started to dry on his cheeks, but he knew that vows were soon coming up. He was trying to calm himself down enough that he could speak and say all that he needed to say, even though he knew he would cry anyways. 

“Love is defined in the dictionary as an intense feeling or deep affliction, but it is believed by many that love is different for all who experience it. Love cannot be properly defined by a few words, as it is an emotion that lives in all of us. We love our mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends, significant others, and many others, but your love it not the same as someone else’s. Your love is truly individual and grows in each of us. So as you sit here today, please recognize your love not only for these two men in front of you, but also for those around you and those elsewhere in your life.” the officiant said, pausing to indicate a shift, “Now, Mr. Tyler Joseph will state his vows to his future husband, Mr. Josh Dun.”

Tyler cleared his throat before starting to speak.

“When I sat down to write these vows, I had no idea how to put into words how I felt about you. You are the complete love of my life and my best friend. You make me so happy and you challenge me in the best way possible. You make me want to wake up and experience the beautiful world around us every single day. I am so excited to spend this life and the next loving you. I love you unconditionally and without hesitation. I vow to love you, encourage you, trust you, and respect you. I know I keep saying I love you, but it really is so true.” Tyler paused for a moment, considering if he was about to say the next part or not. 

“Today, before the ceremony, I started to panic. I was terrified that this was about to happen, even though I knew this is what I wanted and had wanted for eight years now. My sister, Madison, came into the room and saw my panic. She told me some of the wisest words I have ever heard before about love, so I will now paraphrase them as best as I can remember. She said that love is uncertain. It is risky. In order to truly love someone, you have to take all of those risks. You have to be willing to sweat and bleed and cry for this person. Love isn’t going to be perfect, but it’s all about trust. Love is beautiful. I say to you now Josh that I will take risks for you. I will sweat and bleed and cry for you. I will never expect us to be perfect. I will trust you with all that I know, since I love you with all that I have.” Tyler finished. 

Tears were running down his cheeks and he could barely speak by the end, but it was so worth it. Josh was crying, a smile pulled across his face even though tears were falling profusely. The entire audience was crying, and even the officiant had a few tears. 

“Josh, if you would like to say your vows to Tyler now.” the officiant said, his voice quiet and seemingly sore. 

Josh cleared his throat and wiped at his tears clumsily, making them both laugh. 

“Tyler, I love you. I’ve loved you since I saw you across the football field while you were wrapped in a blanket. I fell even more in love with you as I watched you care for your sick sister, as I saw you interacting with my friends, as I saw the tears brimming in your eyes when I first asked you to be my boyfriend. In this moment, I love you more than I have ever. Tyler Joseph, you make my world spin. You are the reason I wake up every morning and the reason I chase my dreams. You are my sun and my moon. I don’t know if I could ever live without you, so I hope we die at the same exact time. I love you more than anything I ever have before. I will love you forever and ever because you are truly the greatest thing that has happened to me. I remember when your mom answered the door the first time I had come over and asked me if I was Josh. You didn’t know I was coming over then, so that means you must have told her the night before or something. My heart soared when I first heard that. I promise I will love you forever and always as much as I do right now. We will always be together, and I cannot be happier about that fact. I love you, Tyler Joseph, and I can’t wait to make you Tyler Dun.” Josh said, finishing his vows with more tears running down his face. 

Tyler was so happy at this point that happy tears flooded down his face. He tried to take a few quiet deep breaths to calm himself down, but it didn’t really work. He just hoped he was an attractive crier. 

“We will now begin the exchange of rings.” the marriage officiant said. 

Tyler took a deep breath and got the ring out. His hands were shaking more than they ever had before, but he had a smile on his face. 

Josh pulled the ring for Tyler out as well, looking into Tyler’s eyes and smiling before saying, ”I, Josh Dun, give you, Tyler Joseph, this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you.” 

He placed the ring on Tyler’s left ring finger. It all was so real in that moment. They were getting married and were going to be forever bonded together. They both loved the idea of that. 

Tyler cleared his throat and said, “And I, Tyler Joseph, give you, Josh Dun, this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you.”

He put the ring on Josh’s finger and took a step back, staring into Josh’s beautiful eyes.

“I now present to you, for the first time, Tyler and Josh Dun! You may now kiss the groom!” the marriage officiant said. 

Tyler and Josh pushed their lips together for the first time as husbands. It never felt so amazing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? Like it? I know a few of you will be really, really sad this is over. I promise I will write many, many more stories this summer (especially chaptered fics) so please don't forget about my existence. I will try to post the first chapter of my new story tomorrow, so remember that I am quick to update and I really, really enjoy writing. This story just seemed to be coming to a close, so I would rather end it here than to drag it on any longer. 
> 
> I would like to thank some people who really made this an incredibly fun and exciting writing experience. It's very likely I wouldn't have continued if you hadn't commented! I thank JoshlerMoshler, josh_u_r_dun, blvrrypilots, TrashyQ, Queen_of_Chaos, Blue, Yourmockingjaymistress, Devyn, IglooIceTakashi (your Elyse icon made me soooo happy), and MOST of all, Steviewantsjoshler. All of you made me feel so good about what I was writing. If ANY of you want to be friends or just talk, feel free to message me on my tumblr (stargerard.tumblr.com) or leave a comment here. I am really friendly (I promise), so please do so! 
> 
> Ending this story was very bittersweet for me. I ended a story that I loved, but it deserved to be ended. I hope to see you guys read my next story. If you go through withdrawal, you can always re-read this or read my other one-shot I have posted. If you have suggestions for future stories, message me on tumblr or leave a comment here. I will see you all very, very soon. :)


	12. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Joshua Dun! There are children in this kitchen!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I thought I was done here! How wrong I was. This is officially the last chapter. I read a comment that prompted me to write a bit more, so here it is. I know this chapter is short, but I thought it was a nice one. I hope you enjoy. :)

“Honey, do you think you could not change Liam right on top of the counter we cook on? I feel like there is some unspoken rule that dinner and baby butt do not mix.” Tyler said, letting the young girl he was carrying in his arms onto the dark wooden floor.

Josh glanced up from the diaper he was focusing on changing before saying, “If it’s an unspoken rule, I feel like I should not be expected to just know it.”

Tyler laughed aloud and stirred the pot of mac and cheese they were cooking. Their daughter, Ava, was pulling on the bottom of Tyler’s shorts, trying to grab his attention. 

“Ava, sweetheart, could you not do that, please? I enjoy wearing pants.” Tyler said, smiling and looking down at the little girl. 

“I don’t know, last night you said something completely different.” Josh said while giggling. 

“Joshua Dun! There are children in this kitchen!” Tyler said, a smile spread out across his entire face .

“Ava is two and a half. She doesn’t know what that means!” Josh said, picking up the little girl and planting kisses on her cheeks. 

“Oh, hush. Did you get the TV set up?” Tyler said, pouring the food into four little bowls.

Josh set his daughter down and leapt over the back of the couch. He grabbed the remote and clicked a few buttons until The Little Mermaid came on the screen

“All set!” Josh replied. 

Tyler watched his two children walk over to the couch and sit next to their dad. Tyler hit the lights in the living room and set all of the food on the coffee table. The whole family sat on the big couch as close as they could be together, while Josh draped a plush red blanket over everyone. 

After a few minutes, Tyler moved his hand around under the blanket until he found Josh’s hand. They glanced at each other and Tyler smiled at their children. 

He couldn’t help but feel his heart skip a beat.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! Again, Please leave kudos and comments if you liked it. Let me know if you would like this continued because I would be happy to continue! Thank you for reading! :)


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